Fodor's may use your email address to send you relevant information on site updates, account changes, and offers. For more information about your privacy and protection, please review our full Privacy Policy.

i have been to thailand 10 times and been to india once....india is very difficult, thailand is a breeze....depends on what you want from the trip....both have fantastic shopping....thailand hotels are very reasonable and nice india hotels are quite expensive...india is quite dirty and untidy...thailand is much cleaner in every way....

food is good in both places and quite reasonable...thailand offers more international foods than does india...good meats are less available in india than in thailand...

both are must visits...

scenery and customs/traditions are excellent in both...religion is a big part of daily life in both....poverty is far more pronounced in india...

In my opinion both are good.
If you need to feel and experience different culture, food,topography, etc.., then visit India.It is vast and diverse and nothing is repeated. You need lots ofpatience to travel in India.

Thailand is good for shopping entertainment, night life.etc.
So depends on your interest.
I didn't like to visit Thailand more than once. But it is personal opinion.

If you are at all hesitant about getting off the tourist map, don't go to india. it can be pretty confronting and crazy, and at times (especially public transport) can be nightmarish.

But thailand - (i agree with citybell) is a place i would only visit once, because it is so westernised in the majority of the country that i think it can be quite boring if your looking for something to shock you culturally.

Bottom line - if you're after culture, amazing food, and a completely unique experience - go india. if you're after nice beaches, cheap booze and food, and meeting a lot of other travellers - go thailand.

That's probably a touch oversimplified - but hopefully u get the gist.

I have traveled extensively across India. There is no way in this post that I could explain how fascinating a country it is, how much variety there is here, and just how many different places there are to go, see, and experience. As far as a combination of culture, history, architecture, nature, people, there is no other place in the world that can touch it. It has all its faults, and its not for everyone, and there are certainly better ways to do it than others, but I can't recommend it enough. If you have more detailed questions about what to do and how to do it, drop me an email at [email protected]

India can lead to vastly different experiences for anyone who cares to make the journey. I think the single most influential factor would be the pocketbook.

If you are lacking the funds to pay more than 40 rupees for a hotel room, you're likely to have the rough and tumble experience of lore we so often hear. It will be an 'experience' for sure, but not the only valid way to travel India.

I think there's been a fair bit of misinformation on this forum about how much money one needs to spend to find a decent hotel. Why do I start by emphasizing hotels? Because it's true that no matter what budget you have, India is a non-stop series of sights, sounds, and smells you have probably never encountered.

The place you choose to rest your weary head will enhance your experience. That enhancement could be very negative if it entails cockroaches and rats playing tug of war with your bedsheets.

On the other hand, for a very reasonable price you can stay in clean comfortable surroundings that instill an even greater experience of the good things India offers.

Home stays are often the best value for a budget dollar. I've had great home stay accommodations for around $6, even in touristy areas. Budget hotels that are used to a never ending stream of non-repeat customers can often be terrible at four times the price.

Hotels in the $40-$60 range have been reasonably consistent for good quality and value for the buck. The lower ranges can still be great but you will need to do your research.

$80 - $150 will get you into some of the most interesting boutique hotels in India. No need to bother with the $500+ five star uber-luxury hotels that seem to be the domain of business travelers.

I don't have time to continue with transportation but will just say briefly the train system is a great way to experience the culture. I've even put together a web site to make it easier to plan your rail travel.

I have travelled extensively in India too - a total of 10 months in 3 separate trips. I have been to Thailand 4 times.

I find the comments on this thread illuminating. "India is dirtier than Thailand" - true. 'Nice hotels in India are more expensive than Thailand'. Well, it depends what you mean by "nice".

Do you mean punkahs, and white liveried waiters, and a reception desk that will book your tickets for you, and arrange a taxi when you could just as easily have done it yourself, or taken a bus?

Is shopping of paramount importance?

Look, I love Thailand, and would never pass up an opportunity to visit - but it is now fairly overrun. Sure, there are still places that are not sanitised but are you an adventurer? Would you take the trouble to find them? Is that what you want?

India to my mind is far more rewarding and it's not hard to get off the beaten track - in a country with a billion oeople, most of whom don't have a car, you can go anywhere on public transport.

But maybe that is not what you want? You want western style facilities everywhere; no effort involved. Hire a driver - don't touch the sides.

Totally agree, fuzzylogic and shakti! No need to spend lots of money on hotels in India. I did use a car and driver a few times when public transport didn't work very well, but I booked them in India and found them pretty cheap. But I've never really fallen for Thailand - going back to SEA I'd sooner visit Laos or Cambodia or Vietnam. Keith - it depends on what kind of trip you want, but based on your web site I'd say you should be thinking India.